97-716: Serekunda or Serrekunda is the largest urban centre in The Gambia . It is situated close to the Atlantic coast, on the Gambia River , near the capital, Banjul . Serekunda and Banjul form an urban area known as the Kombos, with about half of the population of the Gambia. Serekunda was named for Sayerr Jobe , who founded it in the 19th century. It merged with several villages into a larger urban area. Banjul's growth has been restricted due to being
194-518: A British Crown colony called British Gambia , divided for administrative purposes into the colony (city of Banjul and the surrounding area) and the protectorate (remainder of the territory). The Gambia received its own executive and legislative councils in 1901, and it gradually progressed toward self-government. Slavery was abolished in 1906 and following a brief conflict between the British colonial forces and indigenous Gambians, British colonial authority
291-554: A Republic within the Commonwealth , following a second referendum . Prime Minister Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara assumed the office of President , an Executive Post , combining the offices of head of state and head of government which he held since 1962. President Sir Dawda Jawara was re-elected five times. An attempted coup on 29 July 1981 followed a weakening of the economy and allegations of corruption against leading politicians. The coup attempt occurred while President Jawara
388-455: A 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.56/10, ranking it 120th globally out of 172 countries. The Gambia has a tropical savannah climate . A short rainy season normally lasts from June until September, but from then until May, lower temperatures predominate, with less precipitation . The climate in The Gambia closely resembles that of neighboring Senegal, of Mali , and of
485-504: A Serer elder dies). Upon independence in 1965, the country used the name The Gambia . Following the proclamation of a republic in 1970, the long-form name of the country became Republic of The Gambia . The administration of Yahya Jammeh changed the long-form name to Islamic Republic of The Gambia in December 2015. On 29 January 2017 newly elected President Adama Barrow changed the name back to Republic of The Gambia . The Gambia
582-690: A coalition of opposition parties. According to the 2023 V-Dem Democracy Indices The Gambia is ranked 68th of 179 nations worldwide and the 11th of 56 in Africa . During the Jawara era, there were initially four political parties, the PPP, the United Party (UP), the Democratic Party (DP), and I.M. Garba-Jahumpa 's Muslim Congress Party (MCP). The 1960 constitution had established a House of Representatives , and in
679-674: A coalition with the Democratic Congress Alliance (DCA; a merger of the DP and MCP). They invited the UP to the coalition in 1963, but it left in 1965. The UP was seen as the main opposition party, but it lost power from 1965 to 1970. In 1975, the National Convention Party (NCP) was formed by Sheriff Mustapha Dibba , and became the new main opposition party to the PPP's dominance. Both the PPP and NCP were ideologically similar, so in
776-434: A colony in 1765. In 1965, 200 years later, The Gambia gained independence under the leadership of Dawda Jawara . Yahya Jammeh seized power in a bloodless 1994 coup . Adama Barrow was elected as The Gambia's third president in the December 2016, he defeated Yahya Jammeh with the help of a coalition of other opposition political parties. Jammeh initially accepted the results, but then refused to leave office claiming he
873-546: A decrease in malaria cases since 2005. The Serekunda Internet Exchange Point began service in July 2014. The exchange, run by OG Financial Services Ltd., provides the internet for a large part of West Africa. Radio 1 FM is an independent commercial radio station established in 1990. Kanifing's waste is dumped in Bakoteh Dump Site , located on a major road to Serekunda. The Kanifing Municipal Council's Cleansing Services Unit
970-418: A dirt road. The market sells a lot of vegetables and fish. It is a popular place to buy batik . It is located alongside businesses including an electronics repair "black market". Vendors at the market have said it is too small, and some cannot secure space there. They have complained about floods during the rainy season causing lower patronage. Expired products are frequently sold. Solar-powered cold storage
1067-426: A dusk-to-dawn curfew on the populace. A transition back to democracy occurred in 1996, and a new constitution was written, though the process was manipulated to benefit Jammeh. In a 1996 referendum, 70% of voters approved the constitution, and in December 1996, Jammeh was elected as president. All but PDOIS of the pre-coup parties were banned, and former ministers were barred from public office. During Jammeh's rule,
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#17328455700081164-487: A full cycle of presidential , legislative , and local elections, which foreign observers deemed free, fair, and transparent. President Yahya Jammeh, who was elected to continue in the position he had assumed during the coup, took the oath of office again on 21 December 2001. Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) maintained its strong majority in the National Assembly, particularly after
1261-635: A mini stadium in Serekunda in 2001, which opened in 2007. The Serekunda East and Serekunda West football stadiums had renovations in 2018. Serrekunda United and Latrikunda United football clubs play in the GFA League Second Division . The Serekunda Central Sports Committee joined the Nawettan in 2011. The Serekunda East Sports Development Organization was the subject of a petition of no confidence on 5 March 2016. Seven teams had been relegated from
1358-401: A party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism". On 11 December 2015, President Jammeh (without any legal authority) unilaterally declared The Gambia an Islamic Republic , calling it a break from the country's colonial past, although the constitution remains secular constitution. The months leading up to the 2016 presidential election were tense. The youth leader of
1455-537: A referendum on a revised Constitution, the elections for President and the National Assembly by early January 1997. In 1997 the Independent Electoral Commission - IEC- The Gambia was established to replace the PIEC, responsible for the registration of voters and for the conduct of elections and referendums. The IEC organized the next 5-year elections for late 2001 and early 2002, and The Gambia completed
1552-525: A retired lawyer who had sometimes acted as party leader in place of his half-brother, Pierre Sarr N'Jie . The Democratic Congress Alliance (DCA) ran Reverend J. C. Faye , the party leader who was barred from running in his home of New Town. H. O. Semega-Janneh, a local member of the Legislative Council, ran as an independent and won. In the 1962 election , the People's Progressive Party (PPP) supported
1649-641: A small island, leading to Serekunda growing in population and businesses moving there from Banjul. Serekunda has been the site of political protests, and candidates from several parties have won seats. Since the 1980s, Serekunda has been a regional centre of the Tablighi Jamaat religious movement. Serekunda's market is the largest in the country. Along the coast, the Senegambia Strip is a popular place for foreign tourists, including sex tourists . Gambian wrestling and football are popular sports. Serekunda
1746-718: A tiny enclave at Albreda on the river's north bank. This was finally ceded to the United Kingdom in 1856. As many as three million people may have been taken as slaves from this general region during the three centuries that the transatlantic slave trade operated. It is not known how many people were taken as slaves by intertribal wars before the transatlantic slave trade began. Most of those taken were sold by other Africans to Europeans: some were prisoners of intertribal wars; some were victims sold because of unpaid debts, and many others were simply victims of kidnapping. Traders initially sent people to Europe to work as servants until
1843-631: A women's rights activist was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in combating female genital mutilation . On 4 December 2021, Adama Barrow won re-election in the presidential election . On 20 December 2022, a supposed coup attempt by the Gambian army was foiled , with four soldiers arrested. The Gambian Armed Forces have denied that any attempt at a coup was made. Barrow's use of foreign troops for his security and for protection of some infrastructure has hurt his popularity. The Gambia
1940-532: Is a 2.30% population increase from 2013. The capital city is Banjul , which has the most extensive metropolitan area in the country. The second and third-largest cities are Serekunda and Brikama . Arab Muslim merchants traded with native West Africans in The Gambia throughout the 9th and 10th centuries. In 1455, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to enter The Gambia, although they never established significant trade there. The British Empire established
2037-542: Is a corruption of "Sayerr Jobe Kunda". The street of his home was named Sayerr Jobe Avenue. Several villages, including Dippa Kunda, Latri Kunda , and Serekunda, grew into the city of Serekunda. Touray Kunda was established by one of the first settler families. In the 1960 Gambian parliamentary election , the United Party (UP)'s candidate for the Kombo West seat (now in Serekunda) was Ebrima D. N’Jie [ de ] ,
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#17328455700082134-568: Is a founding member of the ECOWAS. It rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations in 2018 after previously withdrawing in 2013. English is the country's sole official language; it became widely used during British rule. The name "Gambia" is derived from the Mandinka term Kambra / Kambaa , meaning the Gambia River . (It may be derived from the sacred Serer Gamba , a special type of calabash beaten when
2231-538: Is a four-lane highway from Westfield to Banjul. Denton Bridge is part of it. The highway receives traffic from thousands of residents who commute to work in Banjul. Serekunda is linked to Banjul by a public bus service and private taxis. Westfield Junction is a busy intersection at the terminus of the highway to Banjul. From the intersection, drivers can go to coastal Serekunda or continue inland. Sayerr Jobe Avenue goes from Westfield to London Corner via central Serekunda. It
2328-444: Is a shopping street with expensive properties. It has a lot of traffic between the city and the suburbs. Kanifing General Hospital, formerly known as Serrekunda General Hospital, is a tertiary referral hospital . It serves a catchment area of 600,000 people, and it has 114 beds and 2 operating theatres, as of 2021. Its thyroid clinic was established in 2015. The hospital's One Stop Centre takes referrals for psychiatric patients. It
2425-407: Is a very small and narrow country whose borders mirror the meandering Gambia River . It lies between latitudes 13 and 14°N , and longitudes 13 and 17°W . The Gambia is less than 50 kilometres (31 miles) wide at its widest point, with a total area of 11,295 km (4,361 sq mi ). About 1,300 square kilometres (500 square miles) (11.5%) of The Gambia's area are covered by water. It
2522-526: Is an ethnic enclave of Soninke people , including many from the town of Sabi . Some Soninke migrants move their families to Serekunda. In the 1970s and 1980s, many wealthy Soninke people chose to move to the Kombos for business reasons. In 2003, after the Sierra Leonean Civil War , thousands of Sierra Leoneans lived in Serekunda and Bakau. Most identified as migrants rather than refugees, so they did not receive UNHCR aid; fewer than 200 lived in
2619-517: Is during its rainy season. The average daily erythemal ultraviolet dose is 5 kilojoules per square metre, with more variation during the rainy season. As of the 2013 Population and Housing Census, the settlement of Serekunda has 19,944 people, including 9,758 women. Kanifing , which includes Serekunda, has a population of 382,096, including 189,679 males and 192,417 females. It has 67,119 households, with an average household size of 5.70. The urban agglomeration of Kanifing and Serekunda has about half of
2716-542: Is one of a small number of countries for which the definite article is commonly used in its English-language name and where the name is neither plural nor descriptive (e.g., "the Philippines " or "the United Kingdom "). The article is also officially used by the country's government and by international bodies. The article was originally used because the region was named after "The Gambia [River]". In 1964, shortly prior to
2813-508: Is the country's second-biggest trauma centre . It does not have an orthopaedic unit. Serekunda Health Centre serves a catchment area of 123,000 people in Serekunda and nearby settlements. It is one of the busiest health facilities in the Gambia. It delivers over 300 babies per month. It has an infant welfare clinic. Kanifing General Hospital and the Serekunda Health Centre provide infertility care. Serekunda Health Centre has seen
2910-511: Is the smallest country on the African mainland. In comparative terms, The Gambia has a total area slightly more than that of the island of Jamaica . Senegal surrounds The Gambia on three sides, with 80 km (50 mi) of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean marking its western extremity. The present boundaries were defined in 1889 after an agreement between the United Kingdom and France. During
3007-461: The 1960 election no party won a majority of seats. However, in 1961, the British Governor chose UP leader Pierre Sarr N'Jie to serve as the country's first head of government, in the form of a Chief Minister. This was an unpopular decision, and the 1962 election was notable as parties were able to appeal to ethnic and religious differences across The Gambia. The PPP won a majority, and formed
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3104-602: The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction in the 2007 election . In March 1996, students at the Muslim High School in Serekunda were involved in a riot against Yahya Jammeh 's military rule, which led to its principal, Pa Modou N'jie, being fired. In 2001, Jammeh's government conducted extrajudicial killings at the University of the Gambia . In October 2009, United Democratic Party (UDP) activist Femi Peters
3201-606: The Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) deposed the Jawara government and banned opposition political activity. Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh , chairman of the AFPRC, became head of state. Jammeh was just 29 years old at the time of the coup. The AFPRC announced a transition plan to return to a democratic civilian government. The Provisional Independent Electoral Commission (PIEC) was established in December 1995 to conduct national elections and it supervised
3298-681: The British Empire and the French Empire struggled continually for political and commercial supremacy in the regions of the Senegal River and the Gambia River. The British Empire occupied The Gambia when an expedition led by Augustus Keppel landed there following the capture of Senegal in 1758. The 1783 Treaty of Versailles gave Great Britain possession of the Gambia River, but the French retained
3395-643: The Gambia–Senegal border . Sayerr Jobe Avenue has shops whose storefronts advertise to people walking or driving on the street. The Senegambia Strip is a short road that contains many restaurants and music venues. It is the country's most popular site for beachside entertainment. It receives tourists from wealthy countries, whose spending is a major contributor to the economy. The Serekunda/Banjul area has twenty hotels where 90% of tourists stay, and 84% of tourists book through tour operators , as of 2008. A beachfront area of Kololi has popular luxury hotels, including
3492-482: The Governor-General . Shortly thereafter, the national government held a referendum proposing that the country become a republic . This referendum failed to receive the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution, but the results won widespread attention abroad as testimony to The Gambia's observance of secret balloting, honest elections, civil rights, and liberties. On 24 April 1970, The Gambia became
3589-519: The International Organization for Migration 's office in Serekunda, feeling frustrated that the government had not kept its promise to reintegrate them. After incumbent Adama Barrow won the 2021 Gambian presidential election , the UDP candidate Ousainou Darboe contested the result. A group of supporters gathered at his house in Serekunda and were dispersed with tear gas, which was condemned by
3686-555: The National Human Rights Commission . Serekunda and Banjul are located 18 kilometres (11 mi) from each other, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, at the mouth of the Gambia River . The conurbation of Serekunda and Banjul, known as the Kombos, is the only major urban area in the Gambia. The expansion of Banjul has been limited as it is an island surrounded by mangrove swamps , leading to Serekunda gaining its overflow population and some of its institutions. In
3783-492: The US Army Air Forces and a port of call for Allied naval convoys. After World War II, the pace of constitutional reform increased. Following general elections in 1962, the United Kingdom granted full internal self-governance in the following year. The Gambia achieved independence on 18 February 1965, as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth , with Elizabeth II as Queen of The Gambia , represented by
3880-572: The 11th or 12th century, the rulers of kingdoms such as Takrur (a monarchy centred on the Senegal River just to the north), ancient Ghana and Gao had converted to Islam. They had appointed to their courts Muslims who were literate in the Arabic language . At the beginning of the 14th century, most of what is today called The Gambia was part of the Mali Empire . The Portuguese reached this area by sea in
3977-419: The 1980s a new opposition party emerged, in the form of the radical socialist People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS). However, between the 1966 and 1992 elections, the PPP was "overwhelmingly dominant", winning between 55% and 70% of the vote in each election and a large majority of seats continually. In principle, competitive politics existed during the Jawara era, however, it
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4074-500: The 2000s, offices in Banjul moved to more modern offices with better infrastructure in Serekunda. Bakau expanded from a fishing village to part of the urban sprawl of Serekunda. Serekunda is near the Sahara Desert . It is cloudless on 80% of days. It has one rainy season lasting from June to October. Its total ozone amount ranges from 225 to 329 Dobson units , with a mean of 268.1±15.97 Dobson units, as of 1993 to 1996. Its ozone peak
4171-442: The 2016 election before declaring the results void and calling for a new vote, sparking a constitutional crisis and leading to an invasion by an ECOWAS coalition. On 20 January 2017, Jammeh announced that he had agreed to step down and would leave the country. In January 2017, President Barrow removed the "Islamic" title from The Gambia's name. On 14 February 2017, The Gambia began the process of returning to its membership of
4268-459: The Commonwealth and formally presented its application to re-join to Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on 22 January 2018. Boris Johnson , who became the first British foreign secretary to visit The Gambia since the country gained independence in 1965, announced that the British government welcomed The Gambia's return to the Commonwealth. The Gambia officially rejoined the Commonwealth on 8 February 2018. On 28 February 2018, Jaha Dukureh ,
4365-510: The DCA's candidate in Serekunda. Semega-Janneh, who had joined the UP, was reelected. The unsuccessful PPP candidate in Kombo West, Famara Wassa Touray, was arrested amid electoral unrest. In the 1960s, Serekunda and Bakau expanded as satellite towns of Bathurst (now Banjul ), forming a "Mandinka belt". In the 1966 election , Semega-Janneh was the PPP candidate for Serekunda. The UP chose Gibou M. Jagne [ de ] . Jagne won with 68% of
4462-1986: The Gambia Passport Visa requirements Visa policy [REDACTED] The Gambia portal Other countries v t e General elections were held in the Gambia on 4 and 5 April 1977. They were won by the ruling People's Progressive Party , which claimed 29 of the 35 elected seats. There were 216,234 registered voters. Results [ edit ] Party Votes % Seats +/– People's Progressive Party 123,297 69.59 29 +1 National Convention Party 40,212 22.70 5 New United Party 5,403 3.05 1 –2 National Liberation Party 4,095 2.31 0 New Independents 4,174 2.36 0 –1 Paramount chiefs' representatives 4 0 Presidential appointees 4 +1 Attorney General ( ex-officio ) 1 0 Total 177,181 100.00 44 +4 Registered voters/turnout 216,234 – Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union v t e [REDACTED] Elections and referendums in The Gambia Presidential elections 1982 1987 1992 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 Parliamentary elections 1947 1951 1954 1960 1962 1966 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012 2017 2022 Local elections 2002 2008 2013 2018 2023 Referendums 1965 1970 1996 Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1977_Gambian_general_election&oldid=1146394742 " Categories : Parliamentary elections in
4559-822: The Gambia [REDACTED] Constitution Human rights LGBT rights Executive President ( list ) Adama Barrow Vice-President Badara Joof Cabinet Legislative National Assembly Speaker : Fabakary Jatta Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice : Hassan Bubacar Jallow Elections Political parties Politicians Recent elections Presidential: 2016 2021 Parliamentary: 2017 2022 Administrative divisions Regions Districts Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad Minister : Mamadou Tangara Diplomatic missions of / in
4656-452: The Gambia River, including Fort Jakob, and St. Mary Island (modern day Banjul) and Fort Jillifree – came under the rule of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia , a vassal state of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in what is now Latvia , having been bought by Prince Jacob Kettler . The colonies were formally ceded to England in 1664. During the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century,
4753-551: The Gambia in the 1960s but were not successful until the early 1990s. Imam Karamoko Dukureh, the son of a marabout from the village of Gambissara , established the Jamaat in the Gambia after studying in Saudi Arabia. He returned to Gambissara in the 1980s and began to build a mosque with foreign donations. The villagers, who did not want a second mosque, got the government to intervene in 1993. Once Jammeh took power, his government approved
4850-429: The Gambia sentenced main opposition leader and human rights advocate Ousainou Darboe to 3 years in prison in July 2016, disqualifying him from running in the presidential election. This gave Adama Barrow to contest under the UDP ticket. Following the 1 December 2016 elections, the elections commission declared Adama Barrow the winner. Jammeh, who had ruled for 22 years, first announced he would step down after losing
4947-700: The Imam Malik Institute, a madrasa and boarding school that teaches the sunnah . It has gradually expanded since its establishment, with teachers who studied in the Middle East. Serekunda is a centre of the Tablighi Jamaat Islamic movement. The Markaz ( transl. Centre ), a dawah centre in the Bundung area, is the country's main centre of the Jamaat. The Markaz is open to the public and congregates on Thursdays. Pakistani preachers preach at
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#17328455700085044-563: The Jamaat host Sunday services. Churches include the Trinity Methodist Church and Saint Therese's Catholic Church. After the Baháʼí missionary Fariborz Roozbehyan arrived in the Gambia in February 1954, a Spiritual Assembly was established in Serekunda. According to the 2013 economic census, Kanifing had 14,924 business establishments, the highest of any local government area and 40.3% of
5141-673: The Kairaba Hotel and the Senegambia Hotel. The Senegambia Strip has a large market for sex tourism . Young men looking for money, known as " bumsters ", provide sex for tourists. Residents of Serekunda believe sex tourism has become a norm and pedophilic activities harm local youth. Many are concerned that European tourists take advantage of economic inequality by persuading poor Gambians to have sex for money. Politicians have proposed subsidising new accommodations or increasing penalties for foreign sex tourists. The Banjul-Serekunda Highway
5238-477: The Koudoum Refugee Camp. Many of the migrants had formal education and sought skilled jobs. About fifteen Sierra Leonean youth clubs were formed in Serekunda, mostly affiliated with the politically influential Sierra Leonean Union (SLENU), formed in the 1980s. A Sierra Leonean Tablighi Jamaat centre was formed. The Serrekunda Mosque is the oldest mosque in the area. It is on Sayerr Jobe Avenue, across from
5335-603: The Nawettan. It had not held annual general meetings from 2013 to 2015. It was accused of mismanaging and embezzling 1.7 million dalasi. The investigation recommended the suspension of the organisation. The Gambia The Gambia , officially the Republic of The Gambia , is a country in West Africa . Geographically, The Gambia is the smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for
5432-517: The PPP and the remaining four won by the NCP. Serekunda's vote in this election was 63% in favour of PPP. In the 1982 Gambian general election , the PPP won both seats in Serekunda, with 63% of the vote, and the NCP kept a narrow hold of Bakau. The result in Serekunda West was influenced by a local man who had switched his support from the NCP to the PPP. Many young people from Serekunda, disillusioned with
5529-709: The Serekunda West Mini Stadium. Serekunda Mbolo is a team in the Gambia Wrestling Association . Wrestling matches are popular among foreign tourists. Ahead of the country hosting the 2005 African U-17 Championship , the Gambia Football Federation upgraded two stadiums in Serekunda, with support from the government and the FIFA Forward programme. The Gambia National Olympic Committee 's Sport Infrastructure Initiative Project completed
5626-408: The challenges facing Barrow as needing to restore "citizen's trust and confidence in the public sector". They describe a "fragile peace" with tensions in rural areas between farmers and the larger communities. They also reported on tensions between ethnic groups developing. An example is that in February 2017, 51 supporters of Jammeh were arrested for harassing supporters of Barrow. Although his election
5723-424: The compound. It is a two-storey building with an adjacent mosque that can seat 2,000 people, surrounded by barbed wire . It has a reputation for being secretive. Adherents from across West Africa convene in the city. Gambians who convert to the Jamaat often move away from their families to Serekunda. The term "Markaz" is used to refer to the mosque and the movement. Tablighi missionaries from South Asia first came to
5820-508: The country's independence, Prime Minister Dawda Jawara wrote to the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use requesting that the name The Gambia retain the definite article, in part to reduce confusion with Zambia which had also recently become independent. The Gambia is also one of only two countries whose official name feature the article "the", with the other being The Bahamas . Arab traders provided
5917-528: The country's population, as of 2018. Serekunda is ethnically and linguistically diverse. The Wolof language serves as a lingua franca in Serekunda and across the west of the country. Nearly all signage is in Gambian English . Nearly all residents speak either Wolof or Mandinka . People from villages come to the Kombos to study, work, run small businesses, or join businesses of relatives. On average, these villagers stay for 2.2 years, as of 2010. Serekunda
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#17328455700086014-403: The country's total. The districts of Serekunda West, Serekunda East, and Serekunda Central respectively had 5,051, 3,547, and 3,198 establishments. Serekunda Market , also called Sandika, is in the centre of the city. It is the largest market in the country. Traders have sold produce there since the early nineteenth century. The market expanded from a group of women selling fish and vegetables by
6111-508: The election , the military deployed in Banjul and Serekunda. The retaliatory ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia included the deployment of Nigerian forces in Serekunda and Brikama . On 21 January 2017, when he left the country, a crowd celebrated at Westfield Junction in Serekunda. The management of emigrants who returned to the country post-Jammeh was concentrated in Serekunda. A group of returnees who had been stuck in transit in Libya stoned
6208-471: The first written accounts of The Gambia area in the ninth and tenth centuries. During the tenth century, Muslim merchants and scholars established communities in several West African commercial centres. Both groups established trans-Saharan trade routes. They carried out a large export trade of local people taken captive in raids and sold as slaves . Gold and ivory were also exported, and the trade routes were used to import manufactured goods to these areas. By
6305-505: The main opposition UDP , Solo Sandeng, died in detention at the notorious National Intelligence Agency . Ousainou Darboe , the leader of the UDP, and many senior members of his party were sent to jail for demanding the release of Solo Sandeng dead or alive. President Jammeh faced opposition leaders Adama Barrow from the Independent Coalition of parties and Mamma Kandeh from The Gambia Democratic Congress party. The high court of
6402-404: The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the legislative elections. On 2 October 2013, The Gambian Interior Minister announced that The Gambia would leave the Commonwealth with immediate effect, ending 48 years of membership of the organisation. The Gambian government said it had "decided that The Gambia will never be a member of any Neo-Colonial institution and will never be
6499-675: The market for labour expanded in the West Indies and North America in the 18th century. In 1807, the United Kingdom abolished the slave trade throughout its empire. It also tried, unsuccessfully, to end the slave trade in The Gambia. Slave ships intercepted by the Royal Navy 's West Africa Squadron in the Atlantic were also returned to The Gambia, with people who had been slaves released on MacCarthy Island far up The Gambia River where they were expected to establish new lives. The British established
6596-534: The mid-15th century and began to dominate overseas trade. In 1588, the claimant to the Portuguese throne , António, Prior of Crato , sold exclusive trade rights on the Gambia River to English merchants. Letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I confirmed the grant. In 1618, King James I of England granted a charter to an English company for trade with The Gambia and the Gold Coast (now Ghana ). Between 1651 and 1661, some parts of The Gambia – St. Andrew's Island in
6693-464: The military post of Bathurst (now Banjul ) in 1816. In the ensuing years, Bathurst (now Banjul ) was at times under the jurisdiction of the British Governor-General in Sierra Leone . In 1888, The Gambia became a separate colony. An agreement between Britain and France in 1889 established the boundaries of the colony. In 1891, a joint Anglo-French Boundary Commission faced resistance from local leaders whose lands would be divided. The Gambia became
6790-490: The mosque, but he then prohibited it to gain support from village elders. The government demolished the mosque and arrested four followers. Followers bought land in Serrekunda's Bundung neighborhood and built a compound that Dukureh moved into. The compound was replaced with a brick building that gradually expanded. Dukureh served as the imam of the Markaz until his death in 2000. As women have not been permitted to attend regular services since 2003, five homes of women who adhere to
6887-425: The murder of journalist Deyda Hydara in 2004, a student massacre at a protest in 2000, public threats to kill human rights defenders in 2009, and public threats towards homosexuals in 2013. Furthermore, Jammeh made threats to the religious freedom of non-Muslims, used 'mercenary judges' to weaken the judiciary, and faced numerous accusations of election rigging. In the December 2016 presidential election , Jammeh
6984-663: The negotiations between the French and the British in Paris, the French initially gave the British around 320 kilometres (200 mi) of The Gambia River to control. Starting with the placement of boundary markers in 1891, it took nearly 15 years after the Paris meetings to determine the final borders of The Gambia. The resulting series of straight lines and arcs gave the British control of areas about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north and south of The Gambia River. The Gambia contains three terrestrial ecoregions: Guinean forest-savanna mosaic , West Sudanian savanna , and Guinean mangroves . It had
7081-686: The newly established People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), which only ran in five races, ran in Serekunda East. He got 9.8% of the vote. In the 1992 election , N'Jie defeated Jagne. Sallah ran again with 11% of the vote. A 1982 survey found that less than 10% of workers in Serekunda were in unions. In 1985, Serekunda's population was estimated to be 70,000. Many residents worked in Banjul . About 3% of residents were employed as farmers, and others raised crops or livestock, unlike in Banjul. When Jammeh's government redistributed
7178-399: The northern part of Guinea . The Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom on 18 February 1965. From 1965 to 1994, the country was ostensibly a multi-party liberal democracy . It was ruled by Sir Dawda Jawara and his People's Progressive Party (PPP). However, the country never experienced political turnover during this period and its commitment to succession by the ballot box
7275-602: The opposition was again fragmented. An example was the infighting between members of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) that was formed in 2005. Jammeh used the police forces to harass opposition members and parties. Jammeh was also accused of human rights abuses, especially towards human rights activists, civil society organisations, political opponents, and the media. Their fates included being sent into exile, harassment, arbitrary imprisonment, murder, and forced disappearance . Particular examples include
7372-507: The parliamentary constituencies, it used chieftancy districts rather than population, which led to more populated areas, especially Serekunda, being underrepresented. In the 1997 Gambian parliamentary election , the first after Jammeh took power, the Serekunda East seat was won by the little-known Fabakary Jatta in an upset against Sallah. Sallah did not contest the result. Sallah later held the Serrekunda Central seat until he lost it to
7469-522: The party. In 1977, the Serekunda parliamentary constituency was split in two. In that year's election , the PPP selected Jallow for the Serekunda East seat and Abdoulie A. N'Jie [ de ] for Serekunda West. The NCP selected Jagne for Serekunda West. Serekunda West elected the NCP and Serekunda East elected the PPP. Both races were close. In the 1979 local elections, the Kanifing Urban District Council had eight seats won by
7566-464: The political system and poor living standards, participated in the 1981 coup . The coup's leaders held covert meetings in the city. Jagne was arrested on charges of supporting the coup. He was released one week before the 1982 election . The NCP lost support due to the coup. N'Jie of the PPP defeated Jagne in Serrekunda West. In the 1987 election , Jagne retook the seat. Halifa Sallah , a member of
7663-501: The preparation of the electoral register . A 1991 court challenge by the PDOIS against irregularities on the electoral register in Banjul was dismissed on a technicality. In July 1994, a bloodless military coup d'état brought an end to the Jawara era. The Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC), led by Yahya Jammeh , ruled dictatorially for two years. The council suspended the constitution, banned all political parties, and imposed
7760-415: The rebel force. Between 500 and 800 people were killed during the coup and the ensuing violence. In 1982, in the aftermath of the 1981 attempted coup, Senegal and The Gambia signed a treaty of confederation. The Senegambia Confederation aimed to combine the armed forces of the two states and to unify their economies and currencies. The Gambia permanently withdrew from the confederation in 1989. In 1994,
7857-490: The site of Sayerr Jobe's home. The Pipeline Mosque is on Kairaba Avenue. It has capacity for 3,000 people and a 33-metre-tall minaret . It was founded by Alhaji Daddy Jobe and opened in 1990 as the Pipeline neighborhood grew. The Islamic Solidarity Association of West Africa functions as a non-governmental organisation that conducts foreign affairs, and it has built a medical centre. In 2000, Soninke religious leaders established
7954-584: The street. Households widely lack information on proper disposal. In 2017, vendors at the market issued complaints about residents dumping trash in the market. The KMC had stopped their collection of the waste. Waste dumping at the market has caused infestations and discouraged people from shopping there. Gambian wrestling was popularised in Serekunda by Bocar Janneh, who founded the B.O. Semega Janneh arena in Dippa Kunda. Semega Promotion, founded by Fatoumata Semega-Janneh, has held matches between local wrestlers at
8051-522: The vote. In the 1972 election , the PPP chose youth leader Omar A. Jallow to challenge Jagne. Jagne was one of only three UP candidates to win. After the National Convention Party (NCP) was founded in 1975, Serekunda and neighboring Bakau were the towns with the highest support for it outside of the rural Badibbu area. Though the NCP was primarily a Mandinka party, it, as well as the PPP, had wide support across ethnic groups in Serekunda. It gained support from Badibbu migrants in Serekunda. Jagne joined
8148-467: The western part, which is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean . Its territory is on both sides of the lower reaches of the Gambia River , which flows through the centre of the country and empties into the Atlantic. The national namesake river demarcates the elongated shape of the country, which has an area of 11,300 square kilometres (4,400 sq mi) and a population of 2,769,075 people in 2024 which
8245-464: Was arrested for organising an anti-Jammeh rally in Serekunda. He was sentenced to one year of prison. In 2015, the Kanifing municipal government renamed Sayerr Jobe Avenue after the mayor, Yankuba Colley . The decision was criticized by Jobe's heirs, who thought it ignored his legacy, and other residents, who found it unnecessary to adapt to a new name. In December 2016, after Jammeh rejected his loss of
8342-711: Was attending the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in London and was carried out by the rogues group of leftist calling themself National Revolutionary Council, composed of Kukoi Samba Sanyang 's Socialist and Revolutionary Labour Party (SRLP) and elements of the Field Force, a paramilitary force which constituted the bulk of the country's armed forces. President Jawara requested military aid from Senegal , which deployed 400 troops to The Gambia on 31 July. By 6 August, some 2,700 Senegalese troops had been deployed, defeating
8439-455: Was beaten by Adama Barrow , who was backed by a coalition of opposition parties . Jammeh's initial agreement to step down followed by a change of mind induced a constitutional crisis that culminated in a military intervention by ECOWAS forces in January 2017. Barrow pledged to serve at the head of a three-year transitional government. The Nigerian Centre for Democracy and Development describe
8536-446: Was cheated, triggering a constitutional crisis . The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) conducted a military intervention and achieved Jammeh's removal two days after his term was initially scheduled to end. The Gambia's economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and especially tourism. In 2022, 17.2% of the population lived in extreme poverty , defined as living on less than US$ 2.15 (2017 PPP ) per day. The Gambia
8633-524: Was established in 1984, funded by the World Bank . It is an open dump, and the only method of managing the waste is open burning. It causes air, soil, and groundwater pollution, as well as respiratory infections, methane emissions, and odour. The Kanifing Environmental Transformation Program, launched in 2022, plans to add more rubbish bins and convert Bakoteh Dump Site to a transfer station . Waste comes from households and Serekunda Market, often picked up from
8730-586: Was firmly established. In 1919, an inter-racial relationship between Travelling Commissioner J. K. McCallum and Wolof woman Fatou Khan scandalized the administration. During World War II, some soldiers fought with the Allies of World War II . Though these soldiers fought mostly in Burma , some died closer to home and a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery is in Fajara (close to Banjul). Banjul contained an airstrip for
8827-515: Was founded in the second half of the 19th century by Sayerr Jobe , a Wolof man from Koki in the Kingdom of Cayor , in what is now northern Senegal . Jobe, whose family was part of the royal class, left Koki due to a power struggle. He went upriver to Niumi , then Banjul, before establishing Serekunda. Sukuta was the only nearby settlement, and the area was a thick forest. He delegated power to his seven sons before dying in 1896. The name 'Serekunda'
8924-501: Was initially met with enthusiasm, the Centre notes that this has been dampened by Barrow's initial constitutional faux pas with his vice president, the challenge of inclusion, and high expectations post-Jammeh. On 5 December 2021, Incumbent President Adama Barrow was declared the winner of The Gambia's presidential election by the electoral commission. The 4 December 2021 election, the first since former dictator Yahya Jammeh fled into exile,
9021-542: Was introduced in 2020, funded by the Kanifing Municipal Council and the High Commission of the United Kingdom . As of 2024, it is not operational. Residents of nearby villages such as Tujereng and Jambanjally may farm on the weekends and have weekday jobs in Serekunda. Some vendors at Serekunda Market are farmers. Serekunda and other Gambian cities have informal trade networks that smuggle products across
9118-479: Was made to term limits, indicating Jammeh's preference to stay in power for an extended period of time. According to the 1996 constitution, the President is the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Jammeh and Barrow have also both taken on the role of Minister of Defence. 1977 Gambian general election Politics of
9215-411: Was never tested. In 1994, a military coup propelled a commission of military officers to power, known as the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC). After two years of direct rule, a new constitution was written and in 1996, the leader of the AFPRC, Yahya Jammeh , was elected as president. He ruled in an authoritarian style until the 2016 election , which was won by Adama Barrow , backed by
9312-426: Was seen as crucial for the young democracy. The Gambia has had a number of constitutions in its history. The two most significant are the 1970 constitution, which established The Gambia as a presidential republic, and the 1996 constitution, which served as a basis for Jammeh's rule and was kept following Barrow's victory in 2016. Jammeh manipulated the 1996 constitutional reform process to benefit himself. No reference
9409-528: Was stated that there was in reality a "one-party monopoly of state power centred around the dominant personality of Sir Dawda Jawara". Civil society was limited post-independence, and opposition parties were weak and at the risk of being declared subversive. The opposition did not have equal access to resources, as the business class refused to finance them. The government had control over when they could make public announcements and press briefings, and there were also allegations of vote-buying and improprieties in
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